Plastic craft eyes just beg you to get creative and build something playful with them, such as a silly face, a cheerful animal or even a cute monster like this Roll a Monster Counting Craft. Yesterday two of my kids were building plastic-eyed felt reindeer from a craft kit left over from Christmas, but in honor of Halloween this week, today we made counting monsters.

Rather than simply giving kids the crafting supplies and letting them create a monster in the same old way, we mixed it up by making a little game using a die. This Roll a Monster Counting Craft helps them practice counting, fine motor skills and, of course, art.

To make your monsters, first round up your own little monsters [er, your kids :)] and a few simple supplies:

A plastic cup or paper plate for each monster body

Plastic “googly” eyes as we like to call them

A die (or if you want to go crazy, a pair of dice)

Pompoms

Pipe cleaners

Glue

Construction paper (cut into strips or shapes as desired)

Black marker

Any other accessories you’d like, such as yarn, buttons, beads, felt, etc.

Clear out your crafting space, and start the Roll a Monster Craft Activity by letting each child roll the die.

If Johnny rolls a 3, he gets to count 3 of the first accessory, such as plastic eyes. If Janey rolls a 5, she can count out 5 items. Go around the group and let each child roll for their turn to take accessories to decorate their monster.

Then, let the gluing and creativity begin. You can use a black marker to fill in any extra details, such as a nose or a smile.

For older kids, you could use a pair of dice and let them build bigger and more elaborate monsters. You can also use toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls instead of cups and plates, although it’s usually easier to find 20 cups if you’re crafting with a class of 20 kids.

Your kids may enjoy playing with their monsters like dolls or even building a monster family.